Hey everyone, I recently bought a second-hand Steam Deck that was factory reset. I’ve only downloaded and played one verified game once, then left it alone. Now the device won’t turn on at all—no screen, no response to any forced shutdown combos like holding the power button for 5, 10, or 30 seconds, or pressing volume with power. The only sign it’s alive is a flashing light when plugged in, which it shows even indicating it’s fully charged. What steps can I try to get it turning on again?
3 Answers
Try holding down the power button for at least 20 seconds while the Steam Deck is unplugged. Sometimes the device needs a really long power hold to reset. If you notice any screen flickering or sounds, just keep holding. After that, plug it back in and try turning it on normally again—this trick has worked for some users stuck on black screens.
Have you tried booting into the BIOS? You can usually do this by holding a specific button combo like volume down plus power at startup (depends on the Steam Deck). If it gets to BIOS, it might mean the hardware is fine and the issue is with the OS or software. If it won’t get into BIOS either, it could be a deeper hardware problem.
The flashing light on charging could mean the battery isn’t fully charged or there’s a battery issue. Normally, when charging, the light should be solid white or green, depending on the model. Make sure you’re using the correct official charger and cable, as incompatible chargers might cause weird behaviors. If possible, try a different cable or charger to rule that out.
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